


Silver Bells

by shomarus



Series: Twenty-Two Angels to Defend Me [18]
Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 04:51:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13069518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shomarus/pseuds/shomarus
Summary: Hot chocolate on the counter, the sweet sound of Perry Como on the phonograph, and Therese, only a little anxious and a little overdone on the eggnog and rum.





	Silver Bells

Hot chocolate on the counter, the sweet sound of Perry Como on the phonograph, and Therese, only a little anxious and a little overdone on the eggnog and rum. Call it over-excitement, or whatever you will. Maybe a sudden touch of the ‘Christmas spirit’? That was a silly thought.

Therese was waiting for Carol to come home, something that she’d stopped doing for a while (typically because Therese would be so drowned in her own work that Carol simply came home and Therese would be left to realize it, not that it diminished her feelings in the slightest). There wasn’t even really anything particularly important about today; Christmas eve was in four days and Christmas day in five, but Therese was touched-starved and needy and _God_.

What’s more, Therese and Carol would have their cozy little apartment room to themselves. One of Rindy’s friends had called and asked if they could take her out for a day, and Therese couldn’t help but to be thankful that Rindy had friends that lived close enough to want to take her anywhere, much less the fact that Carol even trusted them enough in the first place to take her somewhere. When she already had so little contact with her own daughter in the first place? That was a weirdly selfish thought, but Carol has made her grown to be selfish and desire every part of Carol for herself. Even though selfishness is the antithesis of Christmas in itself.

Giving off a sigh, Therese rolled off the couch to set the record back to its beginning. Perry Como’s performance of _Silver Bells_. Something that Carol had for a while, she said at some point, and that it was probably her favourite Christmas track. Admittedly, Therese enjoyed the track as well, so she figured it’d be nice to play while she was waiting.

Waiting. Carol should be home at any minute now.

Therese’s impatience awarded her when Carol came home just a few moments later, calling out the fact that she was home in a very breezy sing-song note. Carol hardly had the time for a greeting before Therese was up at the door and tugging Carol down into a kiss using her scarf.

Carol was amused. “Oh my, Therese. I wasn’t aware you missed me _that_ much.”

“I made hot chocolate with dinner, if you wanted any.” It only occurred to her then that it was possible that Carol didn’t actually really like hot chocolate, and Therese had bought the canister for nothing. “ _If_ you wanted any.” There, quick emphasis.

“That sounds absolutely divine at this point,” Carol admitted with a smile. “Still, what’s the special occasion, babe? It’s not often that you don’t have something tying your hands behind your back. Well. Things that aren’t me, that is.” An exaggerated wink. Therese sputtered.

“I just wanted to see you,” Therese admitted. So they went and ate. Therese would get up during two minute intervals just to play the vinyl again, much to Carol’s own amusement.

Carol whisked away both of their plates to the sink. “You’re really a fan of this piece, aren’t you?” she asked with the same tone that Carol tended to ask most of her teasing questions in. It was half actual teasing, but a part of curiosity as well. A bit of amusement as well, because Carol was usually in high spirits around her, and Therese realized this, and she was happy. Therese smiled.

“Well, I thought it’d fit the Christmas mood.”

“Oh, and what’s the mood for the day?”

“Giving back.”

The dishes didn’t really get done immediately, mostly because Therese’s hands were on Carol far longer than they were ever on any of the dishes. It wasn’t just her hands on Carol either, but her lips and her hair and her little giggly breaths. It was their own little dance to the song, ending far after the phonograph was left to spin in relative silence.

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell i dont have any solidified post-canon headcanons for their relationship? i have too many ideas and i like all of them too much. let my girls be happy :(
> 
> thank you for reading!!


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